Class greets German twin town visitors with 'shameful' Nazi salute

German teenagers visiting a school in Kent were expecting the hand of friendship when they were shown into a classroom.

Instead, three English teenagers humiliated their guests by raising their arms in the Nazi salute.

Embarrassed by the pupils' actions, the teachers tried to ignore what had happened and failed to apologise, according to one parent.

Sally Krause, who heard about the incident through the German exchange student staying with her, added that she was 'appalled'.

Offensive: Students at the Community College in Whitstable upset German visitors when they greeted them with a Nazi salute

'While I find it appalling that such behaviour was displayed I am more
appalled that no teacher disciplined the students immediately or
apologised to the German students and their teachers,' she said.

'My husband is German and was ashamed that guests in this country could be treated in this way,' she said.

The students had travelled from Whitstable's twin town of Borken,
close to the Dutch border, for an annual four-day visit to the
Community College Whitstable, whose pupils also visit Borken.

Mother-of-one Mrs Krause said their German visitor told her husband what had happened, and said they had been shocked by the Nazi greeting.

'We feel that due to my husband being German the student staying with us felt more able to express his feelings as it appeared from talking to other hosts they were unaware of the incident,' Mrs Krause said.

'I can understand the students involved may have intended it as a joke but such behaviour is not acceptable and gives a poor impression of the Community College and its students.'

Mrs Krause wrote to the college several weeks ago to complain about the incident but is yet to receive a response.

But college spokesman Richard Martindale confirmed that complaints had been made.

'The college can confirm that during a recent school visit it was reported that a few students had acted inappropriately.

This was extremely unfortunate but immediately addressed by the head teacher during a mini school assembly.'

The college is very proud of the strong international links it has developed over recent years and takes any incident that may cause offence seriously.'

Nazi symbols and Hitler salutes have been illegal in Germany since the end of World War II.